NZ Qualified Graphic Designer and Photographer

March 22, 2016April 5, 2016

3D 30th Anniversary Alien DVD

For the CD/DVD cover assignment, I chose Alien for the new 35th anniversary edition. The new cover includes a 3D effect design which was achieved over 5 hours, working with Photoshop and the different channels. We were asked to show a version that is aesthetically pleasing, new and fresh and interesting. The DVD had to include a new design that is worth more than a normal DVD cover, so after some research, I found that an interactive box with 3D imaging and a red transparent sleeve would create the exact type of DVD cover that Alien fans would add amongst their special limited edition DVD cover boxes.

The set includes a 3D disc, booklet, transparent red sleeve, 3D cover and glasses.

I would like to reference and credit my front image, as only the 3D imaging and effects are my own. I was looking as part of my research to find a suitable front image for my cover that the target market would best represent Alien, instead of the current film cover.

For my version, the front cover is intended for the officer of the ships X-ray of an Alien organism inside of Kane, a unfortunate character of the movie. This image is most famous representation of what people associate Alien with and is the strongest graphical element in the film. My target audience are hardcore horror fans, Alien fanatics, more of a male audience. I decided on a real eye popping and claustrophobic feel to the whole set because the movie is about feeling trapped in a big area where every idea of escape could be a trap. The concept of the xenomorph creature, Alien makes you feel like you have to look everywhere, try to escape and/or hide. The reason behind the image being the people entering the derelict ship in the movie, the tight border makes you feel like its trapping you inside slowly.The darkness and contrast of the images compliments the concept because the worst kind of claustrophobia in the movie is the dark and tight spaces, with low visibility. The lighting is dramatically lowered to add to the claustrophobic feel as the film’s lighting is very dark, dim and sinister. On deviantART, artist Antonio Deiana, created the inspired front image using layered images of each individual human anatomy e.g. chest, spine, skull and Alien. He named it “Score Honey, I’m pregnant!” This image is the only of its kind. I also want to acknowledge H.R. Giger and I wanted to dedicate this to his collective work and memory. The transparent sleeve was chosen to be red because it hides the blue and the green on the cover, so it blends most of the image, making the viewer intrigued to see what is really revealed on the cover, adding to the shock and thrill factor of the design. You can see some of the Alien tail, so it creates a bit of mystery to entice them into wanting to know whats on the cover which is what I was trying to achieve. The DVD is remastered in 3D, so the audience feels completely terrified and has a real rare movie experience where it feels like they are being chased by the terror themselves.

*PERMISSION RIGHTS HAVE BEEN GIVEN FOR THE TEESPRING ALIEN DESIGN BY ANTONIO DEIANA, DEVIANTART ARTIST AS OF MARCH 2015″